Karnataka stakes claim as India’s leading renewable energy provider

July 26, 2018

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Having added 5 gigawatts (GW) to its generating capacity in 2017-18 alone, Karnataka’s tally for installed renewable energy generating capacity climbed to 12.3 GW. According to a report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), this made the State India’s leading renewable energy provider, edging past Tamil Nadu which sits at 10.8 GW.

The Pavagada industrial solar park – said to be the second largest solar project currently under construction in the world – has been credited with reversing the State’s fortunes in renewable energy, along with “positive renewableenergy policies” such as open access, the introduction of a hybrid wind-solar development policy and “significant steps to reverse Karnataka’s historic reliance on energy imports,” the report said.

However, the report also states that certain elements exists within the State that “threatens” solar energy. According to the report, lack of an adequate infrastructure for transmission and lack of policies such as repealing the zero wheeling charge order are factors that could hamper the growth of the renewable energy sector in the State.

Reacting to the report, P. Ravi Kumar, Principal Secretary, Energy Department said “We will continue to scale up generation through renewable energy. This year, we will be adding 1,600 MW of solar power. This season, we are getting adequate wind energy. After October, that may go down and we will have to rely on solar power.”

About the hurdles mentioned in the report, Kumar admitted that there were some constraints in network, but a green energy corridor was being set up.